The pregame chatter centered on a swollen foot, an infected elbow and a sore hamstring.

But reflecting their hard-driving, no-excuses coach, the Bulls kept their focus Saturday night on points, rebounds and assists. And, of course, defense.

The result was a 93-76 victory over the Hawks, a team that thirsted for revenge after the Bulls' 97-58 shellacking of them at the United Center last month.

Instead the Bulls overcame a 44-43 halftime deficit, surging ahead in the third quarter.

Nate Robinson came alive with 12 points in the frame, Richard Hamilton had a no-look feed to Jimmy Butler on a break and, in one memorable sequence, the Bulls played ping-pong on the glass, snagging three offensive rebounds before a Taj Gibson tip-in.

"Big hustle plays like that unite and inspire your team," Thibodeau said. "When a guy does something like that, it lifts everyone up."